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By Peter, April 19, 2012

Alexander J. Klemm

British GM Nigel Short has won the 12^th Bangkok Chess Club Open 2012 by a clear point, with a last-round draw against IM Nguyen Duc Hoa, whose outstanding performance has earned the Vietnamese player a GM norm. From the beginning of the tournament, Short demonstrated his great fighting spirit. Having won the Gibraltar Chess Festival in January, it was apparent that he had come to Bangkok with a high confidence level and the mission to become the sole champion. Mission accomplished! GM Nigel Short has played with passion and expertise in his fourth consecutive BCC Open tournament and has finally won it. While defending champion GM Jan Gustafsson and Women’s World Champion GM Hou Yifan underperformed, other predominantly Asian participants played very well and often surpassed expectations.

Here are the top results of the final round:

• IM Nguyen Duc Hoa ½ – ½ GM Short Nigel
• GM Amonatov Farrukh 1 – 0 IM Nguyen Van Huy
• Liu Chang ½ – ½ IM Venkatesh M.R.
• GM Xiu Deshun 0 – 1 GM Sriram Jha
• GM Neelotpal Das ½  – ½ IM Saptarshi Roy
• GM Gustafsson Jan 1 – 0 GM Rantanen Yrjo A.
• Sander Severino ½ – ½ GM Hou Yifan

The final standings after 9 rounds are as follows:

1. GM Short Nigel (ENG) 8
2. GM Amonatov Farrukh (TJK) 7
3. IM Nguyen Duc Hoa (VIE) 7
4. GM Sriram Jha (IND) 7
5. IM Liu Qingnan (CHN) 6.5
6. IM Venkatesh M.R. (IND) 6.5
7. IM Saptarshi Roy (IND) 6.5
8. Wan Yunguo (CHN) 6.5
9. GM Gustafsson Jan (GER) 6.5
10. Liu Chang (CHN) 6.5
11. Nguyen Van Huy (VIE) 6.5
12. GM Schebler Gerhard (GER) 6.5
13. GM Neelotpal Das (IND) 6.5
14. GM Hou Yifan 6

(135 players)

In the Challenger category, Tint Swe Win (Myanmar) is the sole winner with 6.5 points after having defeated Filipino front-runner Arnulfo Gavilan Jr. in the final round. Tint Swe Win is followed by a pack of six players from the Philippines!

Challenger Round 7 top results:

• Gavilan Jr. Arnulfo 0 – 1 Tint Swe Win
• Vitithum Issara ½ – ½ Ting Marvin
• Gutierrez Jaymarc 1 – 0 De Leon Haince Patrick

Challenger final standings:

1. Tint Swe Win 6½
2. Gavilan Jr. Arnulfo 6
3. Gutierrez Jaymarc 6
4. Viernes Tucker Howear Elstein 6

(95 players)

Please go to chess-results.com for more results and final standings and visit bangkokchess.com again soon for interviews with GM Hou Yifan and others.

The very competitive and well-attended blitz tournament was won by GM Farrukh Amonatov. IM Nguyen Van Huy was the runner-up, and Wan Yunguo finished third.

Here’s an exciting attacking game from the last round:

GM Xiu Deshun – GM Sriram Jha

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5 Nbd7 7.Nxc4 Qc7 8.g3 e5 9.dxe5 Nxe5 10.Bf4 Nfd7 11.Bg2 g5 12.Ne3 gxf4 13.Nxf5 0–0–0 14.Qc2 Kb8 15.0–0 fxg3 16.hxg3 h5 17.Rfc1 Nf6 18.a5 h4 19.Nxh4 Rxh4 20.gxh4 Neg4 21.Qf5 Qh2+ 22.Kf1 Bh6 23.Ne4? Rg8 24.Ng5 Qxh4 25.Nh3?? This misses black’s crushing move:

25…Qxh3! 0-1 The black queen cannot be taken because of the knight check on h2 and a quick checkmate. After 26.Qc8+ Rxc8 27.Bxh3 Bxc1 28.Rxc1 Rh8 black would be a piece up.

Here are two games that confirmed Short’s dominance. In Round 7 he beat GM Hou Yifan, in Round 8 GM Farrukh Amonatov:

GM Nigel Short – GM Hou Yifan

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 b6 4.e3 Bb7 5.Bd3 d5 6.0–0 Bd6 7.b3 0–0 8.Bb2 Nbd7 9.Nc3 a6 10.Qc2 dxc4 11.bxc4 Bxf3 12.gxf3 c5 13.d5 exd5 14.cxd5 b5 15.Be2 c4 16.Ne4 Nxe4 17.fxe4 Qe7 18.f4 f6 19.Rad1 Rac8 20.Bd4 Nc5 21.Bxc5 Bxc5 22.Bg4 Bxe3+ 23.Kh1 f5 24.Bxf5 Rcd8 25.e5 Kh8 26.Qe4 Qc5 27.Bxh7 c3 28.Bg6 c2 29.Qg2 Bxf4 30.Bxc2 Qe7 31.d6 Qe6 32.Rde1 g5 33.Rf3 g4 34.Rf2 Qh6 35.Qxg4 Bxe5 36.Rxe5 Rxf2 37.Rh5 Rxd6 38.Rxh6+ Rxh6 39.Qc8+ Kg7 40.Qc7+ Rf7 41.Qg3+ Kf8 42.h4 Rhf6 43.Bb3 Rf1+ 44.Kg2 R7f6 45.h5 1-0

GM Short Nigel – GM Amonatov Farrukh

1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 c5 4.Nc3 e6 5.Nb5 Na6 6.a4 Be7 7.c3 0–0 8.h3 Bd7 9.Nf3 Bxb5 10.Bxb5 Nb8 11.Bd3 Nc6 12.0–0 Bd6 13.Bg5 h6 14.Bh4 Be7 15.Ne5 Nxe5 16.dxe5 Nd7 17.Bg3 g6 18.b3 Qc7 19.f4 c4 20.bxc4 dxc4 21.Bc2 Rfd8 22.Qe2 Qa5 23.Be1 Rac8 24.h4 Nc5 25.h5 g5 26.Qxc4 Nd3 27.Qe4 Qd5 28.Bxd3 Qxd3 29.Qxb7 Bc5 30.fxg5 Qxe3+ 31.Kh1 Rf8 32.gxh6 Qxe5 33.Rf3 Qxh5+ 34.Rh3 Qd5 35.Qxd5 exd5 36.Rd1 Rfe8 37.Rh5 Kh7 38.Bd2 Be3 39.Bxe3 Rxe3 40.Rdxd5 Rexc3 41.Rdg5 Rg8 42.Rxg8 Kxg8 43.Rg5+ Kh8 44.Rf5 Rc4 45.a5 Rh4+ 46.Kg1 Rxh6 47.Rxf7 Ra6 48.Rf5 Kg7 49.Kf2 Kg6 50.g4 Rc6 51.Kg3 Rc3+ 52.Kh4 Rc1 53.Rg5+ Kf6 54.Rd5 Rh1+ 55.Kg3 Ra1 56.Rc5 Ra2 57.Rf5+ Kg6 58.Rb5 Kf6 59.Kf3 Ra3+ 60.Ke4 Ra4+ 61.Kf3 Ra3+ 62.Kf4 Ra4+ 63.Kg3 Ra1 64.g5+ Kg6 65.Kf4 Ra4+ 66.Ke3 Rg4 67.Rb7 Rxg5 68.Rxa7 Kf6 69.a6 Ra5 70.Ra8 Ra4 71.Kd3 Kg7 72.Kc3 Rf4 73.Ra7+ Kg6 74.Rb7 Ra4 75.a7 Kf6 76.Kb3 Ra1 77.Kc4 Ke6 78.Kc5 1-0

While GM Jan Gustafsson was not always happy with his play, the following game from Round 6 is instructive in how to exploit an opponent’s weak pawn structure.

WGM Nadig Kruttika – GM Gustafsson Jan

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Nc3 b5 6.Bd3 Qb6 7.Nf3 Qc7 8.0–0 Bb7 9.Re1 Bc5 10.e5 f5 11.exf6 Nxf6 12.Ne4 Nxe4 13.Bxe4 Bxe4 14.Rxe4 0–0 15.Qd3 Nc6 16.Rh4 Rf5 17.Be3 Be7 18.Rh3 g6 19.Qe4 Bf6 20.g4 Rd5 21.c3 White’s last two moves have created several weak pawns. 21…Rf8 22.Rg3 Ne5 23.Nxe5 Bxe5 24.Rh3 Bf4 25.Kg2 Bxe3 26.Qxe3 Black’s pieces are more active. This alone is not enough for a win, but Gustafsson increases his positional advantage. 26…Re5 27.Qd2 Rf7 (27…Qc4 would have been even stronger.) 28.Re3 Qc6+ 29.Kg1 Re4 30.h3 Rxe3 31.Qxe3 Black’s pieces are active and ready to attack white’s weak pawns. White cannot defend them all.

31…Rf3 32.Qh6 Qd5 33.Qh4 Qd2 34.Rf1 Rf7 35.Qd8+ Kg7

Nothing can stop the black queen now. 36.Qb6 Qxb2 37.Qxa6 Qxc3 38.Kg2 Qf3+ 39.Kh2 Qd3 40.Kg2 Qd5+ 41.Kh2 Rf3 42.Qa7 Qd6+ 43.Kg2 Ra3 44.Qb7 Qd3 45.Rh1 Rxa2 46.Qc7 Qd5+ 0-1 White will lose more material.

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By Peter, April 14, 2012

Bangkok, 14 April 2012

Alexander J. Klemm

Thailand is celebrating its joyous and rowdy Songkran Festival when Thais and tourists throng in the streets and splash each other with water to cool off from the fierce summer heat. A popular location to “play Songkran” is Bangkok’s Silom District where the Dusit Thani Hotel is hosting the 12^th Bangkok Chess Club Open 2012. While the crowds go wild with buckets of water outside the hotel, the competition inside is more restrained but heating up. The tournament’s top seeds, GMs Nigel Short, Hou Yifan, Jan Gustafsson and Farrukh Amonatov won their round-two games in convincing fashion. Surprises included draws between Chinese GM Xiu Deshun (champion 2008 and 2009) and Burmese Sie Thu, as well as German GM Gerhard Schebler and Thai FM Boonsueb Saeheng.

An interesting position arose on board two. Australian FM Tim Reilly with the white pieces had been playing a solid game against the defending champion GM Jan Gustafsson, but then he took a “poisoned” pawn with 28.Bxa7:

If White had played 28. Rxa7, he would have lost a bishop to 28..Rxa7 29.Bxa7 Qa2. Instead 28.Qg3 would have been fine, but the game move was refuted by 28..Nd3 which put black on the attack. 29.Bxd3 made things worse, whilst 29.Qg4 would have put up more resistance. Gustafsson secured a quick victory with 29..Bxa1 30.Rxa1 exd3 31.Qxh6 Qf6 0-1.

Surprise results on the top boards in round three were Sander Severino (PHI) 1/2-1/2 GM Nigel Short (ENG), GM Jan Gustafsson (GER) 1/2-1/2, IM Daniel Contin (ITA), GM Shojaat Ghane (IRA) 0-1 GM Hou Yifan (CHN), GM Farrukh Amonatov (TJK) 1-0 IM Nisha Mohota (IND).

After laborious games in rounds one and two, GM Hou Yifan seemed to have found her comfort zone as in round three she went on the attack with black against Iranian GM Ghane: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0–0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 Qe8 7.Nf3 b6 8.e3 Bb7 9.Be2 d6 10.0–0 Nbd7 11.b3 Ne4 12.Qc2 f5 13.Ne1 Rf6 14.f3 Ng5 15.e4 f4 16.Nd3 e5 17.d5 (closing the center allowed Hou Yifan to push on the kingside) 17..Qh5 18.Nf2 Rg6 19.Qd3 Nf6 20.Rd1 Bc8 21.Ra2 (The rook was supposed to protect the second row, but it was soon lost) 21..Rh6 22.h3. A sacrifice was in the air.

And there it was: 22..Bxh3 23.gxh3 Nxh3+ 24.Nxh3 Qxh3 25.Bf1 Qh1+ 26.Kf2 Rh2+ 27.Ke1 Rxa2 28.Rd2 Rxd2 29.Bxd2 Nh5 0-1.

After round three only seven players have a perfect record: GM Hou Yifan (CHN), IM Ngyuen Duc Hoa (VIE), IM Liu Qingnan (CHN), GM Amonatov (TJK), IM Venkatesh (IND), IM Wynn Zaw Htun (MYA) and FM Voigt (GER).

I asked a cheerful GM Farrukh Amonatov: “How did the game against IM Mohota go?”

FA: “I had a small advantage but the position was difficult to play. My opponent got into time trouble and didn’t play well then, so I got the win, but if she had more time I could not have won easily.”

AK: “How did you come to play at this tournament?”

FA: “I signed up for it just a few days before the start because my wife and I have been staying on Koh Samui for four months and the tournament organizers invited me. I’m from Tajikistan but actually live in Moscow. As you know in Russia it’s quite cold sometimes, that’s why we come here. Many people from Russia love to come to Thailand for the warm weather.”

AK: “Since you are participating in the BCC Open for the first time, what’s your impression of the tournament and how do you think the further competition will unfold?”

FA: “It’s very pleasant to be here and the conditions are truly great. As far as the games are concerned, I don’t know whether I can compete with the other GMs because I haven’t played much in the last six months. That’s why I don’t think much about others and just want to play as well as possible.”

BCC President and Chief Organizer Kai Tuorila is satisfied with the second day of play and glad that the Challenger category also got off to a strong start with 95 players, including a great number of youngsters, making this edition of the BCC Open the best-attended so far with a total of 230 players. The top seeds in this 7-round under-2100 Elo contest are S. Bharath (IND, Elo 2074), S. Raghuraman (IND, Elo 2069) and FM Manish Hamal (NEP, Elo 2056). Since in the first round S. Bharath already dropped half a point against Kyz Llantana (PHI, Elo 1672), this group promises interesting battles and upsets too.

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By Peter, August 16, 2009

Download the chessbase file of all games played in the 9th BCC Open Tournament here.

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By Peter, August 6, 2009

If you have any interesting games to share or ask questions about, please email a PGN file to info@bangkokchess.com